Moldable coin collection box with translatable cover



Sept. 5, 1950 R. L.

MOLDABLE COIN C R OLLECTION BOX WITH TRANSLATABLE COVER KEEL Filed Feb. 5, 1949 Patented Sept. 5, 1950 STATES- PATENT :MQLDABLE -;G0 IN QOLLECHI'ONBIOX -WIE['- H TRANSLATABLEQOYER Robert L. Ke'ler, Chicago, 111., assignor to The SaLvati'on fA-rmy, 'iChic'aZgo, :III., a corporationof :Illinois 'Applie'aitionl ebruary 5, 1949, Serial No. 74,378.?

can be madeoutof :m'dlded plastiofbut'whichis eflsoadapted-tobe lockedm closed condition, and which has suitaidleprovision so that 'coins or bills which are inserted-therincannot *be removed through the-entrance slot-except with -consider- (time"difficulty.

One of the-objects of the invention is the provision er an improved. 'coin collection box, which is provided with -'a combined handle and cover so constructed and mounted *relative "to the box so that the eover may be 1ocied hy meansof "a 35 single ha'sp anda 'pa'dlo ck.

iflnother object is the provisiemo'f an improved collection box-of the class fies cribe'd, the 4 cover of whioh is o'f such siiape that it -i's slidabiy mounteci in ene end 6f the collection box, and the "COVGI' 20 a movement of translation; "anii 'the eover may be iocked in place by means (if a single padlock owotherloekingiievice. 2s

ing, when the box is iups'ideid'own, .are adefleo'ted 80 away from 'ith'e mpenirig and prevented 'from emergingzthrough the qcoin :slot.

.ziicnotheriobj eet dfit-he 'inventiomis WhBJJIT OViSi OH of'anrimprorsed coinacoliectionbox, w hio'h s saie and :secure, xdu-ra'ble, easily ileicired with @a asingl'e locking :device, icapable :Iof (economical manufacture and which presents serious difficultiesitoithe removal 10f theooins for :bills except through "the "authorizedtopeningeof :the =.box.

Other-objects and advantages1of the invention arm will be vz-zatp ziareni', from ithe'foll-owing description and the accompanying drawings, ,inwhich similar -.characters .oflreferenceineiicate :similar parts throughout the several views.

.Reterring to the single -sheet .of drawings ac- A5 .companying.thespecification,

Fig.1 is.a.siiie elevation of-aoo'lleotion box em- :bodying the invention;

'2 is an end elevation taken from the'han- I die end; a 50 Fig. '3 "is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane :of theline :3-3 of Figuretf2,,1o'dkingiinthe directionofthearrows;

Fig. 4 is an inside elevationailview .o'f the cover;

Fig. 5 is an end eleva ional 'view"'of the :open :56

endof the ioox 'with thec'over "removed; "and :2 V Fig. 6 is' a' top plan view of=cover with handie broken a-way drawn one smaller-scale.

Fig. '7 'is a View in pers'pective of aw- 5mm?! spring, shown inverted, to illustrate how its 6*! @may be pinched togetl ier a't 6 8 on *vthat twill beithe lower side, toil'et co'ins in, but pieveiititifiiir exit.

Referring "to Figures "1, 2 and '5, W0 iindieates in lit's eritirety-the 'colletition bm whioh EOH'SiSt-S UT 0 an open-ended box II for slidably receivingaia cover l2. The box H- is -pr'eferaibly 'shapeiiin *end elevationsubstantiallylikem shield, astshoum in figures 2 aniiifigso'tha'gt the Shapemf'theibiiic will -be distinotive iand :indiee'tive of the =:orgaiiizationfior which the collection iis made. .Thus'ithe top :01 :the he); reonsists of :a pair of outwariil-y concave "wail p'oiltion's :!3 :and i1 4 join'ed aweilongsa centralllongitudinal ridge 11:5.

"The ii'dge i5 is provided "with 'ia 'l'ongitudiimiliy extending slo't I56, rand the 'slot extends out open end at! of tt'h'e :"container :1 l,":butis diniinisheii in size by imeans 'of ia'rs'lot .icl'osu re H! which is married. 'iby thecover t2 iand' whichifitszinithe open-end of thefslot.

The length o'f :the slot :IB is such that i'extends isubstantiailly 'tpast the middle :of "the tamer, so wthatiwhen ithe .-:.open::end of 'thezsintis closed by the sslot closure :48 the zrem'aining open portion oitheslot :!.6 is rcentral'lyil'ocateii. between the endsof thetcontainer lrl.

'x'lihe container 5H also includes :the :left zen'd wall t9 and the two si'de'walls .120, 1'1, whichmre joined together along :the :line of a relatively blunt aridge $22, *and the side *walls i2 0 2:! are concavel-yecurved cat-their upper portions-211i.

:Below these "inwardly curved poi'rt'ions 24*the side walls have *outwardly convex :portions e26 which extend downward "toward 29301110131181 itb form the bottom r251, where the two {portions of the bottom doin atrthe ridge 22. Y

The container 11 is preferably zmolded out one integral piece *of einitia'lly plastic material, such as :a rphenolic condensation compound or anymodernmo1dab1e plastic. Ilhe=bottom -.of*the container I I is preferablyf ormediat its :open with atpair ioflaterailyj proj eating transverse wall portions 28, l9,,-.e a chiof whichisdntegnalty.joined to the container and to the opposed side wall portions 30,131. This lforms a. .box which isopen when the cover is v.removejd on its top, 'frontenngl bottom, ibutris closed at its rear.

The lbottom'rib 32 df the container formsan integral part (if the containerIand'has ran out-- Wardly projecting hasp Yiormati'on 133,, which flprovided jwith 'althfoughnpefture 23,4 jffor frieceivingapadiockfi.

The cover I2 has an upwardly extending and downwardly open rectangular slot 35 in its lower edge 3! for receiving this hasp formation 33. On either side of the hasp formation 33 the container II is formed with recesses for rectangular sockets which are bounded by the walls 30, 28 and hasp formation 33, and by the walls 29, 3| and hasp'formation 33.

These sockets are open upwardly, downwardly and forwardly, and the side walls 353, 3! and hasp formation provide guide surfaces for guiding the cover into place. In addition to the inner surfaces of these walls serving as guides, the two walls 33 3I are provided with rectangular inwardly extending slots 38, 39 for receiving complementary rectangular ribs 40 carried by the cover.

The upper walls I3, I4 of the container II, which are provided with the slot l6 at the ridge I5, are also preferably provided with a pair of depending baffles M, 42, one on each side of the slot IS, the inner and opposed surfaces 43 of these baffles being flush with the edges of the slot.

Opposed surfaces 43 of baflles 4|, 42 may have opposed grooves 65'extending out from the open end of the container to receive U-spring 66 (Fig. 7),, which, when inverted and inserted in grooves 65, permits money to enter, but not to pass out again.

The baffles are preferably slightly longer than the slot, and one baflie 42 is preferably wider than the other, for the purpose of preventing coins from balancing on the two bailles when the container is upside down. Both bafiles are preferably beveled at their outer lower edges, as indicated at 44, thus providin a relatively sharp edge on each baffle and giving the baffles such formation that coins are deflected away from the slot I6, if they hit the edge of the bailies. The beveled baffles of unequal width tend to'make it diflicult to remove coins or bills from the container by those who are unauthorized and who do not have the key to the padlock.

The cover I2 is also preferably molded of a modern plastic, and it is provided with a substantially flat or plane body 45. This body has an outline which corresponds substantially to the interior of the container I I, and the body is preferably made substantially thicker at the portion 45 adjacent'its edge. The thicker edge portion so strengthens the body that the main body portion .45 may be thinner to save material.

In addition to its general correspondence with the interior outline of the container I I, the cover I2 is provided with a depending rectangular formation separated by the slot 36 into two substantially square portions. These square portions also comprise a flat front body portion 41 which is flush with the front of the body portion 45, and each body portion 41 has a rearwardly projecting rectangular wall 48. The space 49 inside the walls 48 is hollow for the purpose of saving material, and the boxlike portions 48 actually serve as depending and inwardly extending guide lugs for guiding the cover as it slides into the container II, and for providing a keeper which would engage the padlock 35, if it were sought to remove the cover while the padlock is on the hasp 33.

The box-like formations 48 slide into the recess between the wall 30 and hasp 33, and the wall 3I and hasp 33, while the ribs 40 slide into the slots'38. Thus the lower edge of the cover must be attached to the container by a movement of pure translation without any pivotal movement.

Adjacent its upper edge the cover I2 is provided on its rear side with a pair of trapezoidal guide flanges 54, which are beveled at 5| on their lower edges and which terminate short of the end of the slot I6. These guide flanges may form an integral part of the cover and are provided with straight rear edges 52 and straight upper edges 53. The straight upper edges 53 are adapted to engage the inside surfaces 54 of the top portions I3 and I4, when the cover is moved into place.

In addition to the guide flanges 50, the rear side of the cover carries the slot closure flange I8, which may be of the same shape, but which extends higher so that its upper edge 55 is flush with the upper ridge I5 of the container I I. The slot closure flange I8 fills the open end of the coin slot I6 and reduces the length of this slot so that the open portion is located midway between the ends of the container I I.

The slot closure flange I8 also serves to guide the cover into position by means of a sliding movement, and the outer boundary 53 0f the cover is a substantially tight sliding fit in the inner boundary of the walls of the container II.

The thickness front to back of the box formations 48 is such that when they are located in the recess against the rear walls 28, 29, the body 45 of the cover has its outer surface flush with the edge 51 of the open end of the container II. Thus the depending lugs which are formed by the box formations 48 serve to limit the inward movement of the cover at this end.

The cover I2 is also preferably formed with an integral handle 58, and this handle may consist of a curved or arcuate integral piece of the same material, integrally joined to the body 45 of the cover on its outer face and preferably located toward the upper side of the cover.

The handle may be formed with a multiplicity of partially cylindrical depressions 59, extending inwardly from either lateral edge of the handle; but terminating short of a, centrally located rib 60 so that the handle may be grasped more firmly without slipping.

At its upper end the handle 58 is integrally secured to the cover body 45 at the upper ridge I5 of the container, and the handle preferably has a top guide flange BI which overlaps the top of the container and extends downwardly on both sides of the curved walls I3 and I4. At this point the handle is preferably provided with a diagonal slot 62, extending into the back of the cover for receiving the edge parts of the top walls I3 and I 4.

The base of these slots 62 serves as a stop surface for preventing further inward movement of the cover at the top, and thus the top of the cover is held flush with the surface of the edge 57 of the container II.

The operation of my coin collection box is as follows:

The cover may be removed from the container by first unlocking the padlock and removing the padlock from the hasp 33, then the cover is pulled outward so that it slides out of the end of the container. In'order to replace the cover, this is done with a reverse sliding motion, the cover sliding into the container in such manner that the top guide flanges 50 slide under the top of the top wall and the box formations 48 slide in between the walls 30 and 3 I.

When the cover is closed the padlock vpartmay be inserted in the aperture 34, and although the padlock confines only one end of the cover the cover cannot be removed because it will bind in the container if tilted in any way.

The ribs 40, sliding in slot 38 at the bottom of the container, also serve to make the cover move in a straight line and effectively prevent removal of the cover although it is locked with only one padlock.

The depending bafiles on both sides of the coin slot serve to prevent the removal of coins through the coin slot, and tend to deflect the coins away from the coin slot if the container is turned upside down.

The present device may be manufactured by molding and may, therefore, be produced at a low cost so that such collection boxes may be used without greatly increasing the cost of collecting funds. While it is true that such a collection box can be broken, if it is desired to do so in stealing the contents, such boxes are placed in the custody of people who would not resort to the breaking of the box and, therefore, the boxes provide sufficient protection against theft in the routine collection of funds.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a coin collection box, the combination of a cover member provided with a handle on its face, with a container, the said container having an interior outline complementary to the exterior outline of the cover so that the cover may be inserted in the container, the said container having a coin slot in one of its side walls, and guide means cooperating between the cover and the container so that the cover must be moved in a motion of translation to slide into the container during its closure or to slide out of the container during its opening, the said cover supporting a centrally located flange slidably mounted to be inserted in 6 the coin slot, and the coin slot being open toward the cover side of the container to receive said iiange.

2. A coin collection box according to claim 1, in which the coin slot is bordered by a pair of inwardly projecting baffles, spaced from each other, to pass money inward, but to interpose difficulty to its passage outward by reason of their projection into the container, and in which said bafiies are of unequal width and beveled on their outer edges to deflect money away from the slot on the inside of the container.

3. A coin collection box according to claim 1, in which the walls of the coin slot are recessed to receive a spring, and a spring in said recess, having flat legs, twisted toward each other on the inner side, to be sprung apart by passage of coins inward, but presenting closed edges to the passage of coins outward.

4. A coin collection box according to claim 1, in which said guide means comprises a pair of plane parallel walls carried by the container, engaging opposed plane parallel walls carried by the cover, the said engaging walls having a tongue and groove formation extending in the direction of cover movement.

5. A coin collection box according to claim 1, in which said guide means comprises a tongue and groove connection between parts on one side of the container and cover, and inwardly projecting flanges on the cover having their edges engaging the inside wall of the container as the cover moves.

ROBERT L. KEELER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 379,966 Loritz Mar. 27, 1888 640,536 Cook Jan. 2, 1900 1,271,417 Baker July 2, 1918 1,561,502 Andreasen Nov. 17, 1925 1,631,315 Fisher June 7, 1927 1,746,013 Schatz Feb. 4, 1930 2,043,848 Binder June 9, 1936 

